Request for Proposal (RFP) Guidelines
Women’s Economic Empowerment and Digital Financial Inclusion (WEE-DiFine) Research Initiative
Introduction
WEE-DiFine, a BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) led initiative made possible through funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is requesting proposals for research projects that enhance the understanding of the role of digital financial services in the economic empowerment of women by generating evidence on the causal mechanisms between the two.
The initiative will fund studies conducted in South Asia and Sub-Saharan African.
This call for proposals is dedicated to funding for the following categories:
● Measurement Studies
● Qualitative Studies
1. As Extensions to Existing Studies 2. As Formative or Standalone Research
● Pilot Studies
Teams may apply for more than one funding category using a single proposal (e.g., a pilot study combined with a qualitative study). This allows teams to apply for a maximum of $100,000 for this RFP cycle. Should teams apply for more than one category, the proposal must clearly state that both categories are being applied for in a single application.
The RFP package, which includes the white paper defining the scope of the initiative, technical and financial proposal guidelines/templates, letter of support guidelines, and the RFP document (this document), can be foundhere.
Application Instructions: The completed proposal should include: 1) proposal cover sheet, 2) If the proposal was submitted to a previous round of WEE-DiFine RFP: a cover letter containing the title of the previous version of the proposal, the category of funding applied for, and details
of how the recent version of the proposal differs from the previous version and, 3) technical proposal, 4) budget and budget narrative, 5) two-page CVs of each Principal Investigator (PI), and 6) letter(s) of support. Submit the following in a single PDF document in this order: the proposal cover sheet, cover letter (when applicable) technical proposal, CVs of PI(s), and the letter(s) of support All applications and required documents should be submitted by May 31st, 2021, 23:59 Bangladesh Standard Time (BST).
Covid-19 Contingency Plan
In light of the current global pandemic, many social science research methodologies are likely to face delays in processes and require adaptation in order to protect the health and safety of both researchers and research subjects. Applicants should therefore describe how they intend to address Covid-19 related constraints in the methods they propose, the timelines of activities outlined, as well as the ethical dimensions of their research plans and methods.
About BIGD
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) is a research and academic institute at BRAC University in Dhaka, Bangladesh. By influencing policy and practice through rigorous research and quality academic programs, BIGD aims to promote innovation in governance and development processes toward a just and prosperous society. Partnering with academics around the world, BIGD conducts multi-method research, using the dual-lens of governance and development, in close collaboration with several crucial departments of the Government of Bangladesh, large non-profits, and other international organisations. BIGD also provides continuous research and evaluation support to the socio-economic empowerment programs of BRAC. BIGD oversees BRAC International’s Independent Research and Evaluation Cell (IERC), which works in ten countries across Asia and Africa.
BIGD seeks to generate evidence from a range of research techniques mainly through mixed-method approaches including impact evaluations using experimental methods, randomized control trials (RCTs), qualitative research methods as well as exploratory quantitative research to identify further research areas or to complement existing qualitative research work. Further information can be found foundhere.
WEE-DiFine
WEE-DiFine is a research initiative, which aims to generate a comprehensive body of evidence around the impact of digital finance on women’s economic empowerment (WEE) and the causal mechanisms between the two through funding rigorous research studies across South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Financial inclusion or access to finance has an impact on many aspects of the lives of poor and marginalized people. It helps them smooth consumption and absorb financial shocks. Some evidence points to the potential for financial inclusion to facilitate productive investments in education and commercial enterprise. Digital finance also has the potential to empower1 women economically through various pathways. However, there are currently only a handful of rigorously designed studies from very specific population samples that demonstrate the impact of digital finance on WEE. To improve our ability to generalize research findings and advance policy recommendations, additional studies should focus specifically on better understanding the causal mechanisms that mediate impacts of digital finance on WEE, i.e. “the pathways,” as opposed to merely evaluating program impacts.
Even the provision of an individual digital financial service can be interpreted as a bundle of interrelated interventions that reflect a specific local context. For this reason, testing the theoretical underlying mechanisms that mediate impacts on WEE across a portfolio of studies is essential for applying lessons to new populations and policy contexts. With this motivation, WEE-DiFine seeks to catalyse high-quality, rigorous research on DFS impacts on WEE to advance
1http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/403611493134249446/pdf/WPS8040.pdf
innovation and impact, and reduce any risks from the access and use of DFS by women from low-income communities.
Topical Focus
Please consult ourWEE-DiFine White Paperto learn about the scope and the priority research questions of WEE-DiFine. Only the proposals with a strong alignment with the scope and priorities of WEE-DiFine will be considered for funding.
Categories of Funding
This call for proposals is dedicated to funding for the following categories of work:
● Measurement Studies: This funding category is meant to support measurement studies (including, but not limited to, developing novel measurement techniques, an adaptation of an existing measure to a different cultural context, or population) in field surveys.
Effectively, measuring indicators such as (digital) financial inclusion and women’s economic empowerment are crucial for estimating important outcomes such as financial health, female agency and empowerment, intra-household bargaining power, control of household decision-making, etc. Measurement studies do not have to be associated with an RCT - they can be attached to any form of quantitative data collection. The maximum award amount for this type of grant is USD 50,000.
Before being peer-reviewed, submissions must demonstrate that 1) They have a skilled researcher(s) who are experts at measurement studies on their team (either as a PI or in another key role) and 2) There is clear potential for a publication-quality paper to emerge from the research.
● Qualitative Studies: Qualitative studies can be used to disentangle the causal mechanisms of an RCT or shed light on specific sub-themes in the Initiative’s white paper. This funding category has two sub-categories.
1. Qualitative Studies as Extensions to Existing Studies: This subcategory is designed to “top-up” existing projects to encourage the inclusion of talented sociologists, anthropologists, and other social scientists who employ qualitative research methods, such as ethnography, in the research team to advance high-quality, mixed-method research. This funding sub-category is motivated by the recognition that rigorously investigated qualitative narratives about how and why interventions impact their subjects is essential but often omitted.
2. Qualitative Studies as Formative or Standalone Research: This subcategory does not need to be attached to an existing project. This subcategory is designed to allow for pre-pilot qualitative research that may inform subsequent experimental evaluations or measurement studies to be conducted by the research team applying for funding or other teams exploring the pathways between DFS and
WEE. This funding sub-category is motivated by the need for high-quality, rigorous qualitative research that can inform the Initiative’s research agenda.
The maximum award amount for this type of grant is USD 50,000. Applicants who receive funding under this category are eligible and encouraged to apply to future RFPs.
Before being peer-reviewed, submissions in both categories must demonstrate that 1) They have a skilled qualitative researcher on their team (either as a PI or in another key role) and 2) There is clear potential for a publication-quality paper to emerge from the research.
● Pilot Studies: These proposals are intended to stimulate early pilot fieldwork to explore promising opportunities for future large-scale projects. This tier of funding can also be used to support data acquisition and analysis of natural experiments where projects are consistent with the research agenda. The maximum award amount for this grant type is USD 50,000.
Before being peer-reviewed, submissions must demonstrate that 1) They have a skilled researcher(s) who are experts at RCTs on their team (either as a PI or in another key role) and 2) There is clear potential for a large-scale study to emerge from the research.
Eligibility:
Researchers working in higher education institutes or other non-profit research institutes are eligible to apply for funding through their institute. Graduate students working with a research adviser are also eligible to apply. We will only accept proposals submitted by an individual researcher who is not institutionally-affiliated in exceptional circumstances in which the researcher has a demonstrated record of high-quality research.
A single institution is allowed to submit multiple proposals during the same call for proposals. A single researcher can also be included in more than one proposal. If multiple proposals are submitted, the researcher and/or institutions involved should have the capacity to conduct the research according to the proposed timelines.
Institutions can apply as a single institution as well as in partnership with multiple institutions.
In the case of a partnership, one institution must be identified as the lead institution and will be responsible for submitting the proposal. Only the lead institution will have a contract with BIGD and will be responsible for the successful delivery of the project.
Preference:
WEE-DiFine prefers that proposals meet the following criteria:
1. At least one principal investigator on the team from the country of focus.
2. The proposed intervention has the potential to be scaled-up (by governments, firms, non-government organizations, etc.)
3. The proposed intervention makes a meaningful contribution to the existing literature.
While the intervention can be novel, a replication, or a modification of an existing intervention, the expected contribution should fill the gap in the literature that is meaningful to the problem the project is trying to solve and potentially help operationalize a solution.
Technical Proposal Guidelines
To submit a technical proposal, applicants should submit a narrative, not to exceed eight pages, written in Calibri font, Size 11 (these rules will be strictly enforced while evaluating
proposals), and may be single-spaced. The technical proposal must include but is not limited to, all of the items outlined below in the following template provided. You are encouraged to follow the outline, but please remove the instructions when preparing your technical narrative.
1. Project Title 2. Project Summary
a) Description of the project: A short description of the project, not to exceed 500 words. This is similar to an abstract of the proposal and should include, among other things, the research questions, intervention, and study design.
b) Country focus
c) Start and end date: Please note that the project must conclude by July 2024
d) Total budget requested: Please indicate if you have obtained funding from different source(s). It is mandatory that you include the marginal contribution the WEE-DiFine grant will make towards the study. Please only include funds committed.
3. Section One: Applicant Information
a) Researchers (for each PI, starting with the lead-PI. Please indicate the corresponding-PI if the lead-PI is not the corresponding-PI)
i. Name
ii. Designation
iii. Institutional affiliation b) Management body
i. Partner organizations
ii. Partner organization capacity (experience in similar research, field implementation capacity, human resource)
4. Section 2: The Research a) Research context:
i. Research theme b) Research problem statement:
i. Please clearly and directly state the research question, not to exceed 100 words, that motivates the research.
c) Relevance to WEE-DiFine objective:
i. Proposals must explain the project’s scientific contribution in advancing knowledge on causal mechanisms between DFS and WEE.
ii. References to any key relevant literature that supports the study’s hypotheses or demonstrates the need for WEE-DiFine related work in this area are encouraged.
d) Academic innovation and contribution to literature:
i. Identify what knowledge gap you are addressing and how it will advance the field.
ii. Provide information about any ongoing or completed data collection(s) in the existing study, including the timeline and outcomes measured.
iii. Directly map the potential contribution to WEE-DiFine’s thematic framework laid out in the WEE-DiFine White paper.
iv. Explain how this project will push the frontier of existing knowledge to find a meaningful solution to the problem you are addressing.
e) Stakeholder Engagement & Community Impact:
i. Who will work with you and how will you work together?
ii. Applicants should identify applicable government, civil society, commercial partners and implementing partners (those involved in the evaluation itself).
This may be the same or separate sets of organizations.
iii. Is there indication that partners or involved stakeholders would be interested in interim outputs or final results? How will this range of stakeholders
become aware of the results and benefit from the data and interim outputs (e.g. baseline descriptive statistics) generated from this evaluation? Outline a specific plan for how you will share interim outputs you generate, such as the usual meetings and presentations of final results.
iv. WEE-DiFine encourages capacity-building both among partners in the intervention and/or research implementing partners. Please mention any specific components of the project that will build capacity of developing country partners.
v. How can stakeholders benefit from the evidence?
vi. Please explain the potential of the intervention to be scaled-up, if any (by governments, firms, non-government organizations, etc.)
5. Section 3: Research design
a) Intervention and theory of change
i. Please clearly and directly state and describe the intervention that you plan to test. For qualitative proposals, explain how your project will strengthen an existing study or contribute to the broader WEE-DiFine research agenda. We strongly encourage teams to address any potential ethical concerns that may arise with the intervention.
ii. Please clearly and directly describe the hypothesis that underpins your proposed intervention/solution.
b) Methodology (Evaluation Design and Data Collection):
a. Please clearly and directly describe the study design that includes the following key information:
i. Please describe the unit of analysis and if appropriate, the unit of randomization (e.g. individual, household, village, etc.)?
ii. If appropriate, please describe the study arms. We strongly encourage teams to address any potential ethical concerns that may arise with designing the study arms.
iii. What is the method of randomization (e.g. lottery, phase-in, encouragement, etc.)? Please skip if not appropriate for the qualitative design.
iv. What are the intermediate and final outcome indicators? How will these be measured? When will you take measurements and how frequently?
v. For qualitative studies, please state clearly the plan for data collection and analysis. This should include a description of the methods used for data collection, processing, and management. If appropriate, state any predetermined codes that will be utilized or describe the grounded approach to analysis that will be utilized. What theories and/or existing research have informed your analysis plan?
How will you synthesize your findings?
vi. What are the foreseeable threats to the internal validity of this study?
(e.g. compliance, attrition, spillovers, etc.)?
vii. Is this part of a larger or ongoing evaluation? If it is, please mention what the WEE-DiFine fund will be used for.
c) Sample selection and size:
i. Please clearly describe your sample selection process, sample size, etc. For qualitative projects, explain how you know this is appropriate (e.g., saturation). We strongly encourage teams to address any potential ethical concern that may come up with the sample selection procedure.
ii. For quantitative studies, please describe your power calculations (effect size, take up/compliance, variance, clusters, observations per cluster, intracluster correlation). We strongly encourage applicants to be detailed in the presentation of power calculations.
a. What is the minimum detectable effect size? Why do you believe this is an appropriate size?
b. What data and assumptions did you use for these estimates?
d) Mitigating risks:
i. What risks, if any, are anticipated during the course of the research, and what steps will be taken to mitigate them?
ii. Applicants should describe in some detail, not to exceed 250 words, how they intend to address Covid-19 related constraints in the methods they propose, the timelines of activities outlined, as well as the ethical dimensions of their research plans and methods.
e) Target population:
i. What population does the intervention attempt to impact?
ii. Does this approach target a specific region, demographic group, or people involved in a specific sector?
iii. Do other populations face the same conditions as your target group, and could they potentially benefit from the innovation(s) evaluated here?
iv. How, if at all, will the intervention—or broader implications of the
research—improve the lives of marginalized persons (low-income, women and socially excluded groups)?
f) Expected outcomes:
i. Intermediate ii. Final
g) Timeline of Deliverables:
Please include a timeline for the project and the outputs you expect to produce
Budget Documentation
Applicants should submit a project budget breakdown using the template provided, and informed by the corresponding budget guidelineshere.
In addition, applicants should submit a separate budget narrative, not to exceed one page, justifying the major costs within the budget. For example, please explain the particular staffing structure proposed, and include a justification of the number of international trips planned. If field costs are detailed in the budget template (number of field staff, roles, rates, etc.), they do not need further explanation in the budget narrative.
Proposal Review Process
The proposal review process has been designed to ensure that all funded studies are methodologically sound and capable of identifying the causal impact of an intervention that can be isolated from other confounding factors. Proposals are shortlisted for funding following a three-stage review process.
First, WEE-DiFine staff verify proposals for completeness and eligibility and perform an initial quality assessment. Except in exceptional and extraordinary circumstances, proposals that do not comply with our rules regarding formatting will not receive further consideration. Eligible proposals then undergo a peer-review evaluation by the BIGD research network. Following the peer-review evaluation, proposals are ranked and shortlisted for decision-making by an Advisory Board. The Advisory Board, composed of a group of academic and policy specialists as well as the BIGD leadership team, will convene to decide on the final selection of proposals. The Advisory Board may impose additional conditions and request further information and/or amendments to the proposal whenever needed.
BIGD strictly adheres to rules of impartiality during its evaluation process and provisions are in place to ensure that decision-making happens fairly and transparently.
Awards
Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application shortly after the Commissioning Board meetings. Successful applicants will be issued an award letter which contains details of the funding and contractual agreements. BIGD strongly encourages applicants to give detailed and accurate information in the technical proposal form and budget. Incorrect information on the proposal form and negotiations with institutions can all lead to contracting delays.
Grant Deliverables
Please note that deliverables will vary on the basis of the project type and duration. The following schedule details major deliverables only, and is subject to change on a case by case basis.
Output Description
Acceptance of Contract
Fully executed contract is delivered to both parties
IRB Approval For any research involving human participants, and/or data relating to identifiable human subjects, researchers are required to complete a research ethics review and provide proof of the approval and/or exemption from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) that conducted the review. In cases where countries also have a national research ethics body, such approval must also be obtained and submitted to the Initiative.
Progress Report Twice annual progress reports and financial updates of the project Administrative Data
Delivered
Raw and de-identified data submitted along with executable code Final Financial
Report
A final financial report
Final Report The Final Report will be aimed at presenting your research project in detail, with a high degree of clarity and credibility, to policy and academic audiences and providing an account of the extent and ways the project achieved impact.
In order to make accessible all research findings on the causal mechanisms between digital financial services and women’s economic empowerment, all research works derived from WEE-DiFine funding must be made available freely to the public.
The Initiative should be mentioned as the funding source in any public-facing documents or materials derived from the project.
Draft Working Paper and Study Instruments
A draft of the working paper and all study instruments used for the study
Policy Brief A policy brief detailing the findings in the draft working paper Blog Post A blog post to be shared on WEE-DiFine’s website
Submission Instructions
Applicants must submit completed versions of all of the following documents by the submission deadlinehere. All applications along with all necessary documents must be submitted as PDF files except the budget, which must be submitted as an excel file. No information and/or documents from applicants will be accepted or considered after the closing date unless otherwise requested.
1. Proposal Document: The following items should be saved as a single PDF file in the given order.
a. Proposal Cover Sheet (see here): This reference document must be completed in its entirety in the submission form.
b. If the proposal was submitted to a previous round of WEE-DiFine RFP: A cover letter that contains the title of the previous version of the proposal, the category of funding applied for, and details of how the recent version of the proposal differs from the previous version.
c. Technical Proposal: This document:
i. Must address all of the items discussed in the RFP;
ii. Should be no more than eight pages, written in Calibri font, size 11 and may be single-spaced;
d. Two-page CVs: For all Principal Investigators
e. Letter of Support : Please obtain letter(s) of support from the following:
i. Letters from each implementing partner indicating the details of their commitment to the partner on the research.
ii. A letter/document stating the host institution’s approval of the proposal materials.
iii. Graduate students applying are required to include a letter of support from a research advisor eligible for this call. The letter should indicate the adviser’s willingness to remain involved in a supervisory role throughout the lifetime of the project.
2. Budget Narrative: Justifying the major costs within the budget, not to exceed one page, written in Calibri font, Size 11 and may be single spaced.
3. Budget: The excel template provided must be completed in its entirety and saved as a single Excel File.
